Forty cases, 30 males and 10 females, suffering from locomotor ataxia, sclerotic changes in the cord, neurasthenia, and the like, treated with from 20 to 30 minims average doses of Brown-S5quard's fluid, frequency of injections being every other day. Nausea, vomiting, and diar rhma were caused by an overdose. Im provement was noted in nervous diseases of a chronic nature, and consisted in a general stimulation as well as an increase in the sexual sense. F. S. Pearce (Med. News, Aug. 22, '96).
Spermin has undoubted beneficial effect where other medication has failed. In the first case, after six injections, in continence, bladder and rectal pains dis appeared, and general tone and well being improved considerably. After twelve injections had been given ptosis and oculomotor symptoms were cured. In the second case, one of paralysis agi tans, the frequent insomnia, which in this patient seemed to be caused by auto intoxication from gastrointestinal dis turbances, is usually relieved by a single injection of 1 cubic centimetre of sper min given hypodermically. M. A. H. Thelberg (Med. News, May 26. 1900).
Brain and Nerve Extract.
A number of observers, most promi nent among which are W. A. Hammond, of New York; Constantin Paul, of Paris; and Dana, of New York, have employed extracts of brain-cortex and of nervous matter in various nervous diseases. D'Arsonval prepared a glycerin ex tract made of sheep's brain and spinal cord, one part of these being emulsified with five parts of broth.
Dose. — Of d'Arsonval's glycerin ex tract 30 to 40 minims may be injected either into the abdominal wall or into the flank, the latter preferably, every day or every other day.
Physiological Action. — According to Althaus, extracts of brain have a two fold action: they may be looked upon as a highly specialized pabulum of nervous matter, in consequence of their contain ing protagon, cerebrin, and lecithin; and, in the second place, they appear to act as antitoxins, as the phosphorized bodies split up, under the influence of the alkalinity of the blood, into glycero phosphoric acid and cholin, which have the power of stimulating intracellular oxidation and the elimination of leuco 'Baines.
Brain and nerve extracts have also been credited with stimulating proper ties, manifesting themselves especially upon the heart and the general nervous system.
Therapeutics. — Hammond and Con stantin Paul recorded a large number of cases of neurasthenia in which excellent results were obtained, and stray reports occasionally appear, tending to show that these extracts are occasionally used.
Four cases of neurasthenia treated with subcutaneous injections of liquid extract of cerebral matter, 46 minims being injected three times weekly. In two cases marked improvement. Vet leser (Norsk Mag. for Lnge., Mar., '95).
Brain emulsion in traumatic tetanus. Case in which an emulsion of the calf's brain with a physiological salt solution was used. 233 grains of brain-substance being injected in three doses, with asep tic precaution. Complete recovery oc curred in eleven days, although abscesses at the points of injection appeared. A. Krokiewicz ('Wiener klin. Woch., No. 34, '98).
Case of a girl, 9 years old, in whom 240 grains of the rabbit's brain were em ployed without giving rise to abscesses, because the brain used was perfectly fresh, calf's brain having to come from a slaughter-house. Emulsion was also filtered through thick sterilized gauze. Schramm (Przeglad Lekarski. No. 3. '99).
Effects similar to those obtained from the attenuated virus of Pasteur in the treatment of hydrophobia have followed the injection of brain emulsions obtained from normal animals, while functional nervous diseases, such as neurasthenia and epilepsy, have been favorably influ enced. V. Babes (Klin. therap. Woch., June 17 and 24, 1900).
Babes and Gibier recorded cases of epilepsy which appeared to be greatly benefited, while lancorvo found sheep's brain extract of value in various consti tutional affections of childhood. Dana even reported a case of bulbar paralysis apparently cured by injections of gray matter, and Montagnon mentions a case of chorea also. cured by this method.
On the other hand, the negative results reported have been numerous. These, added to the active commercial enter prise which has been connected with these agents from the start, have rele gated them to the rear, and it may be said that the prevailing opinion, at pres ent at least, is that they are therapeutic ally worthless.
Practically every organ of the body has recently been made to contribute an "extract," but the reports are too few to warrant analysis for the present.